Episode 112: What you actually work FOR

2019 was a ridiculously good year for my fangirl self. The Backstreet Boys were finishing up their Vegas residency AND dropping a new album AND going on tour. Like, what?! I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.

THIS MOMENT.

I was not about to let it slip away.

I knew we had to seize the moment. I called my friends, got them on board and started booking it.

I’ll spare you ALL the plans but the one that’s most notable for the purpose of this episode is the surprise meet and greets I bought for my two friends and I who were trekking out to Vegas during the last week of the residency to see our boys.

After 23 years I was finally doing something I had dreamed about endlessly.

Yes, meeting the Backstreet Boys is obviously a huge deal and certainly a moment 23 years in the making. But bigger than that (I know, seems impossible) was being able to treat my friends to this crazy amazing experience – to be able to want something really badly AND be able to have it? What EVEN IS THIS LIFE? So so satisfying.

It doesn’t happen often, so it was really special to be able to know: I can do this, I can take a few days in the middle of the week to experience this, I can ENJOY myself and my life outside of work. I can go to Vegas, with two of my besties to see our favorite boyband… that alone: huge.

To be able to say ‘hey friends, my treat, we are going to squeeze Brian to bits!’? I think I cried. (And I was actually able to do all of this meet and greet stuff twice last year. And my friends were with me and it was awesome and rewarding both times. YES I HUGGED BRIAN TWICE OMG.)

THAT is what we work for, isn’t it?

Once you’ve cleared your basic needs… you work to be able to ENJOY life, don’t you? You work to spend time with friends and family and to travel. To do the things you want to do.

For many of us that is why – and that looks different for every single person but it’s SO rewarding when you can finally DO THE THINGS. We don’t work for “4000 sales” or “a six-figure business” – those are things we might achieve, but we are really working so we can LIVE HAPPILY… whatever that means for you.

That’s the difference between milestones and purpose.

Hitting a sales goal is a milestone, hitting a revenue goal is a milestone. Revenue is not purpose, and neither is a number of sales. You did NOT wake up this morning just to make progress on hitting a milestone.

Ask yourself why you’re working toward that milestone. That’ll get you closer to knowing what your purpose really is.

We work for a bigger purpose. For those moments of “HELL YES, this!” For that surge of excitement about being able to do something you REALLY wanted to do. For that giddy feeling you get from actually doing the things you could have only dreamed about doing when you were 18. For the pride that comes with knowing you can support your family.

You do NOT work for “I have 4,500 sales on my Etsy shop.” But you CAN celebrate that, because maybe, if you are doing it right, it gets you closer to achieving your purpose.

The other difference between purpose and milestones is that milestones come and go, they are fleeting moments – purpose maintains. Purpose is ongoing.

Your business should be mostly enjoyable and should help you make these other ENJOYABLE things possible.

The absolute first step is believing it’s possible to have a business that helps you get closer to your purpose + surrounding yourself with others who believe it too. Don’t skip it!

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